Understand Your Board

Image from https://www.xpastor.org

1.  Intelligent boards don't mind making complex decisions and they don't want the decision made for them ahead of time.

2.  The higher the engagement and leadership horsepower, the less likely rubber-stamping will be satisfactory.  They will not settle for the first, simple solution.  They need to think it through.

3.  Intelligent boards need good information in order to make good decisions.  This requires a good amount of homework on someone's part, and a clear presentation of options at the meeting.

4.  The best way to frustrate (and lose) intelligent board members is to clog the agenda with trivial non-essentials.  Every meeting should be built around the highest priorities.

5.  Hearty, constructive, debate, expressing differences of opinion is a good way to discover the best answer.  This requires at least some measure of emotional health on the part of all the participants.

6.  Understand that stress and anxiety from home and/or work will seep into the discussion, and can lead to over-reactions.  If someone erupts at a board meeting, it may not be all about the issue at hand.

7.  There is a difference between processing and hashing.  After it turns to hash, the conversation becomes increasingly unproductive.

8.  Meetings go better when bathed with prayer.  Go into the meeting "prayed up."